Lawrence County Mural
Lawrence County, TN

Lawrenceburg

Doss Brothers Inc. Construction

Barry Doss holds a vivid memory of the day he told family members his honest hopes for the future.

About a year into his master’s program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Doss gathered everyone together for a meeting. With tears welling in his eyes, he looked at his father—who, at the time, was running the family company, Doss Brothers—and admitted that he was unhappy.

He wanted to return home to Lawrence County and run the family business.

“My heart was here; this is where I wanted to be,” Doss said.

At UT, Doss pursued his undergraduate degree in animal science and eventually his master’s in agricultural business—though he always knew he would return to the family business—while also fulfilling the role of a first-generation college graduate. His parents had dreams that he would do grandiose things as a result of his time at UT—and he did, just not the way they had expected.

In celebration of his UT education, Doss volunteered the company’s building in Lawrence County for UT’s latest mural in its “Everywhere You Look, UT” mural campaign.

During that same family meeting, or call it an intervention, if you will, Doss laid out his plans step-by-step.

First, he would leave his master’s program and move home. Then, he would take over as president of Doss Brothers and attempt to grow the business until he was 50 years old. Next, he would venture into politics.

And Doss kept his word, verbatim.

“I can literally say that I have lived my lifelong dream,” he said. “I’ve done exactly what UT had prepared me to do.”

Every year from 1987—when Doss became president of Doss Brothers and his brother became vice president—to 2008, the company grew by at least 15%. According to Doss, the business has since tripled.

In 2012, a few months after this 50th birthday, Doss ran for and was elected as the state representative of District 70, which serves Giles County and Lawrence County. He went on to serve for six more years.

Doss has always been driven to further the success of the places he loves, whether that’s Doss Brothers or the southern middle Tennessee region. As president of the family company and a former state representative, he helped accomplish both feats.

“He’s just an upstanding citizen in this community,” said Sissy Garner, chief communications officer for Lawrenceburg. “He was not settling for Lawrence County or Giles County to get second best; he always wanted the best for both.”

To Doss, the reason for his success—and the way to ensure such success for his region—is education.

That’s why he pushed for the funding of Lawrenceburg’s Southern Tennessee Higher Education Center so residents had better access to education; that’s why he supports UT’s venture into southern middle Tennessee with UT Southern; that’s why he chose to brand one of his Doss Brothers buildings with a 40-foot-wide UT mural.

Doss credits UT for instilling this value in him.

“UT taught me the value of an education,” said Doss. “We want to be able to provide those educational opportunities to anyone in southern middle Tennessee. If they get an education, the whole world is going to open up in the palm of their hands.”

(Click on Images to Enlarge and Download)

See it yourself:

2784 Hwy 43 N
Lawrenceburg, TN 38464

Meet the Artist

Painting a 40-foot mural on a metal grain bin in 90-degree heat calls for a special type of artist.

Troy Freeman started his mural painting career while still in high school, painting mascots for his and area schools before advancing to sign painting work for local farmers and then founding his own business.

Free Sky Studios, Inc. is a Springfield, Illinois, based professional mural and sign painting business providing commercial and residential clients with a professional source for quality, creative work. With more than 20 years of experience, Troy focuses on delivering quality service marked with exceptional talent and professionalism in every project.

From a 65-foot corn cob to 4-story Frank Lloyd Wright tribute mural, Troy has the experience and expertise to tackle any location we envision.

Troy Freeman
Owner and Lead Artist
Free Sky Studios, Inc.
freeskystudios.com